The moment Kangxi saw the young Hongtun, his gaze softened instantly, a stark contrast to his previous imperial stare.
A slight smile appeared on Kangxi's wrinkled lips as he beckoned to Hongtun: "Hongtun, is that right? Come here to Grandfather."
Hongtun bit his finger, his clear black and white eyes looking at Kangxi and then at Heyue, at a loss for what to do.
Heyue gestured to him: "This is your father's father, your royal grandfather. Your father told you about him, have you forgotten? Go to your royal grandfather's side quickly."
Hongtun had heard his father mention it, and upon hearing this, his eyes lit up. He jumped up, ran quickly to Kangxi, grabbed Kangxi's robe, tilted his head back, grinned, and stared at Kangxi with bright eyes: "Grandpa!"
Kangxi's smile deepened. He picked up Hongtun and placed him on his lap, looking down at him and nodding repeatedly: "His eyes are clear, he's a good child, very much like Yinxiang when he was young."
Upon hearing this, Thirteen lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes.
Emperor Kangxi waved his hand to the thirteenth prince and the others, saying, "You've finally come back, so there's no need for formalities."
"Your Majesty, I thank you," Thirteen said, choking back tears, and stood up, taking Heyue's hand in his.
Kangxi looked at the tightly clasped hands of the Thirteenth Prince and Heyue, and sighed: "You two have suffered these years away from home."
Thirteen shook his head: "Your subject is not wronged. It is your subject who is unfilial and has displeased Father Emperor. Your subject is at fault."
Kangxi smiled with satisfaction, then looked at Heyue's still young and beautiful face and bright eyes: "You have also been wronged. Fortunately, Yinxiang has you by his side, so I can see the Thirteenth Prince again in good condition, and I can see a good grandson of the emperor again."
These warm words, spoken like those of an ordinary father, brought a touch of bittersweetness to both Shisan and Heyue's hearts.
Regardless of how cruel this emperor had been to his son, he never completely exterminated the thirteenth prince, and even gave the couple more than three years of freedom.
Seeing him again now, these words clearly demonstrate that Thirteen still holds a very important place in his heart.
"With Father Emperor thinking of us, we are not wronged at all." Heyue shook her head and smiled faintly.
"Now I understand that Yinxiang married a good wife, and Marhan is a good mother-in-law." Kangxi stroked his beard and sighed, "Compared to Marhan, I have really failed in educating my children."
Thirteen knelt down again, his face filled with fear: "Father, it's all my fault, please don't say that."
Kangxi shook his head and waved his hand: "Oh! There's no need for that. I wasn't talking about you. I know you're a good person. I've never doubted your filial piety. It's just that some people aren't like that. Get up quickly."
Thirteen then stood up, but didn't know how to start the conversation.
"I don't expect them to have a change of heart. I'll just pretend I don't have these sons. Fortunately, I still have a few obedient grandsons, which are better than those heartless bastards." Kangxi stroked Hongtun's head, looking at Hongtun's cute and obedient appearance, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Father, you're being too serious. Although my brothers have made mistakes, their filial piety towards you remains unchanged." Thirteen listened with trepidation, yet he still offered these words of advice.
Kangxi snorted heavily: "Apart from Yinzhi and Yinzhen, who know I am ill and often come to attend to me, how could the others still remember that I am their father?"
Kangxi glanced at the two of them and waved his hand: "Enough, let's not talk about these troublesome things. You've finally come back, you must be tired. Go back to your residences and rest well. Start attending court tomorrow. As for Hongtun, leave him with me for now and let him keep me company."
It's not a problem for the grandfather to have his grandson accompany him. Although Heyue was reluctant, she had no choice but to agree. After all, it was the first time the grandfather and grandson had met, and it would be good to use this opportunity to build a relationship.
Thirteen respectfully agreed and withdrew with Heyue.
Fortunately, although Hongtun was usually a bit naughty, he was sensible when it mattered and didn't make a fuss about going back with Heyue and the others.
Otherwise, it would really displease Emperor Kangxi.
Upon returning to the capital, he was released from confinement, which was a good thing for Thirteen.
Although Kangxi's move may have been intended to divert the attention of his princes and would bring them a lot of trouble, the thirteenth prince was no longer the simple and straightforward young prince he once was. They would have to face this day sooner or later, and as long as they were careful, the couple had nothing to fear.
Back at their residence, it was already midnight. After a quick wash, the couple went to bed.
The next day, right after breakfast, the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict arrived, saying that Thirteenth Prince's confinement had been lifted and he had been granted the title of Beile.
Heyue still felt like she was in a dream. It wasn't until Thirteen received the imperial decree, Hailan stepped forward to reward the eunuch who had come to deliver the decree, and saw the eunuch off that Heyue finally came to her senses.
I thought it was a good thing that the confinement was lifted, but in the blink of an eye, Thirteen went from a Beizi to a Beile.
This is going to cause quite a stir in the palace.
The Crown Prince had just been deposed when the Thirteenth Prince was released from his ban and even granted the title of Beile, allowing him to attend court. This inevitably led many people to speculate.
Does the Emperor intend to appoint this young prince, who was once the most favored besides the Crown Prince and the First Prince, as the heir apparent?
Before everyone could recover from this incident, the emperor issued another decree, elevating Consort De to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort, and appointing her and Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia to jointly manage the inner palace.
Consort De was, after all, only of bondservant origin, and reaching the rank of consort was already her limit. Now she has gone even further, becoming a Noble Consort along with Lady Tongjia.
Who is Lady Tongjia? She is the daughter of Duke Cheng'en, Tong Guowei, and a member of the maternal clan of the current emperor. How could she be compared to Lady Wuya, a mere concubine from a bondservant family?
This inevitably leads many people to think of the saying "a mother's status rises with her son's."
After all, the Thirteenth Prince was also the adopted son of Consort De. Because Consort De valued the Thirteenth Prince, she bestowed the title of Noble Consort upon his adoptive mother, which inadvertently elevated the Thirteenth Prince's status.
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